Houma Drunk Driving Injury Lawyer
In Louisiana, a person has to be 21 years old to drink alcohol. If someone is drinking heavily and is leaving a bar or a dance club, it often occurs more in the late hours of the evening or early hours in the morning. It could be that the drunk driver goes off the road and hits a tree and injures passengers, or it could be that the drunk driver goes off the road into a bayou or canal down in where in our community there are a lot of waterways. There is also the head-on collisions in which the impaired driver crosses the centerline into the other lane of traffic on a curve. Drunk driving can affect young people who are inexperienced in driving and not used to drinking.
Houma drunk driving injury lawyers see that with the younger drivers, but there are also older drivers who are hard-core substance abusers or alcoholics who could be up in age and not necessarily a younger person. Historically, a lot of these drunk driving crashes are going to happen during the night hours and not as much on controlled-access highways where there are divided lanes of travel. Most of those type of crashes with drunk drivers are one-car collisions, but on two-lane roadways, more often the impaired driver drifts into the other lane on curves or crosses the center lines. Regardless of the kind of accident you have been through, a qualified car accident attorney that could work tirelessly to pursue justice for you.
Drunk Driving Accidents and Injuries
Accidents caused by drunk drivers are often extremely serious because these drivers lack the mental and physical abilities to assess traffic situations and respond appropriately. Their vision may be impaired. Their reaction times are slowed. They may get sleepy or distracted, completely missing traffic signs and signals or swerving into other lanes.
Victims may be struck head-on by drunk drivers or run off the road. They may be hit at excessive speeds or while their vehicle is stopped. Injuries from these types of accidents tend to be catastrophic or fatal, resulting in significant losses for the victims.
An experienced attorney could aggressively pursue a person’s claim for compensatory and punitive damages. Regardless of the outcome of the drunk driver’s criminal case, the lawyer could seek damages for an individual in civil court. A Houma car accident attorney could work tirelessly to get financial compensation and justice for those who have been injured in a drunk driving case.
What Happens in Situations Where the Injured Person Was Also the Drunk Driver?
There is a state statute in Louisiana that if the injured party is making a claim against a drunk driver and there’s proof that the injured party was also intoxicated, if the person is anything more than 25% at-fault, his remedy is barred as a recognition by the legislature to stop everybody from drinking.
If someone was legally drunk and was lawfully stopped at a traffic signal or on a traffic light and another drunk driver rear-ended them, it would be difficult for the people at fault to prove that the injured driver making the claim had any fault at all other than driving while intoxicated.
For an intersectional collision in which both parties are drinking, ordinarily it may be a 50/50 case, but if the injured party making the claim was more than 25% at-fault, they cannot recover at all. If someone has further questions about how fault plays a role in drunk driving cases, they should consult a Houma personal injury attorney.
Damages For Drunk Driving Accidents
Just as in any other automobile accident, the same damages are sought: past and future medical expenses, past and future earnings, mental pain and suffering, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, impairment of enjoyment of living, disability, impairment of earning capacity, and the property damages. The big differences on the drunk driving case is that the injured party can get punitive damages.
That is done to punish the wrongdoer. The legislators decided to give additional damages against someone who is drinking while driving or driving while drugged, and it acts as a deterrent for similar actions. The exemplary or punitive damages is the big difference in a drunk driving case. A Houma drunk driving attorney could help the hurt party pursue the damages that they deserve for their injuries.
Hiring a Houma Drunk Driving Injury Attorney
Car accidents can be frightening and stressful. A compassionate car accident attorney can help you file your personal injury case. To schedule an appointment with an experienced Houma drunk driving injury lawyer, call our firm today.